Since being released from COVID house arrest, poker machines have been working over time to keep up with the demand of players. NSW has 86,872 active machines making the state the worldwide runner up for quantity of poker machines beaten by the US state of Nevada.
The Local Government Area’s of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Cumberland have lost the most money accounting for twenty percent of the 8.1 billion dollars lost by players last year.
Stemming the amount of money being spent through legislation is unlikely, as the Minns government will trial a cashless poker machine system on 500 machines in the coming July.
If you or anyone you know needs help with gambling you can go to https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/ or you can give them a call on 1800 858 858 .
Image: Image: Shutterstock: EWY Media
Produced By: Dominic Giles
Featured In Story: Professor Sally Gainsbury Director of the Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic at the University of Sydney
First aired on The Wire, Monday May 1 2023